A Classification of Methods and Contributions in the Historiography of Nordic Computing

Abstract

Abstract. The relevance and need of proper scientific methods in the research of computer science history was debated in the closing session of HiNC2 (Turku, August 2007). This text extracts a classification of research approaches and methods from HiNC1 and HiNC2 papers and offers a classification of computer science history to help understand the various research contributions in the field. It recognizes two basic divisions and five dominant approaches in the current research on the History of Nordic computing. The need for a clearer definition of the research methods and approaches in the contributions is evident, and there seems to be a need to broaden the conceptual apparatus.